CONTINENTAL CRIMES AND SENSATIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 244, 12 October 1907, Page 13

CONTINENTAL CRIMES AND SENSATIONS.

TWINS offered for sale. A peasant and his wife went early one morning recently to the market at Avellino Italy, with two of their children, twins four months old, and offered them to thi public for sale, asking £S each. The price at first seemed to be though exhorbitant, though the babies were plumj and healthy, but in the end a man offeree: the price required, and was taking awaj the children when the police arrived ano arrested both buyer and sellers. POLICE AXD MAD SUPERINTENDENT Second Officer Truelsen, of the Secret Pol ice at Copenhagen, recently issued tele phonic instructions to the main body of the torce that all available men were to be detached for special duty. Their orders were to arrest all the Russians in Copenhagen, as a great plot against the life of the Czai had been discovered. Detectives were accordingly despatched in all directions, but one of them mistrusted his instructions owing to the fact thai the Russian colony in Copenhagen was more than 2000 strong. He therefore rang up the chief inspector, explaining to that func tionary that he wanted further instructions. The chief investigated the matter, and found that his second iv command had suddenly become insane. The unfortunate officer was at once scut to the hospital, and his remarkable order cancelled. THE BARMAID'S REVIEW. An amusing incident took place on Saturday, August 21, at Jersitz, Prussia (says the "CeDtral News"), where a battalion of infantry is stationed. One of the men, the day before, had visited a restaurant in th* town, and not only departed without payment, but also took a purse from the barmaid who served him. The nest day the lady complained to the commander, who had the battalion paraded. In company with the commander, the lady passe_ down lines, scanning each face intently. The it;en, under the impression that they were being inspected by a princess at least, stood rigidly to attention. Their surprise was great when the lady stopped in front of one of the men and exclaimed in a pronounced Berlin dialect, '•That's the thief.'" The man was at once marched off in custody. GALLANT MAYOR LEADS THE CITIZENS AGAINST THE BRIGANDS. An exciting encounter with brigands is reported from Terranova (Sardinia), the centre of a district which has lately been terrorised by a band of twelve daring robbers. Last month the brigands boldly attacked a village near Terranova, and entering the villa of a wealthy resident, bound and gagged the occupants and got away with booty to the value of 100,000 lire. As soon as the Information of this outrage reached Terranova. the mayor, raising a force of some fifty citizens, provided them with arms, and led them against the robbers, who —ere encountered in a wood. Tbe mayor, disposing his forces with great skill, succeeded in completely surrounding them, —id opened fire. There was a sharp conflict, in which three of the brigands were killed. The others scattered in the wood and escaped. LADY'S TERRIBLE ALPINE ADVENTURE. An almost incredible story of human endurance of resistance to cold and privations comes from Loeche. A Swiss lady.who was staying at Loeche Hotel went alone to visit the Gorges of Dala, whose precipices have an altitude of some 4000 ft, on the second of this month. As she did not return, search parties were sent out These proving unsuccessful, a large reward was offered for her recovery, but it was not till some days later.that she was found. It appears the unfortunate lady fell dowu a crevasse. She escaped injury, but was effectually imprisoned in the chasm. There she remained for li) days, living on grass and water. When found she was in a semistarved condition and raving like a maniac, her privations and the error of her situation having destroyed her reason. She was taken to the hospital at Loeche, where she lies in a critical condition. TWELVE YEARS IN A BATH. A tepid bath, which has lasted over | twelve years, has just come to au cud In ■ the State Hospital at Brunswick owing to I the death of a patient named Ferdinand . Schlimrne, a bricklayer, who injured hn | spiuethrough a fall in November, ISO 4. I rhe lower portion of his bady wns completely paralysed through the accident, whilst his stomach and other organs were badly Several operations proved unsuccessful. The patient showed remarkible tenacity of life, but suffered excruciating pain, which rendered his stay In bed unendurable. The surgeons therefore j decided to render existence more comfortiblo by Immersing him to the breast in a tank. through which water ran continuously. There he has lain ever since, witn a supporting band round his breast and his head on air rushions. He soon became accustomed to the position, and as his bands were free he learned to knit and to carve svooden toys, becoming eventually so expert :hat he earned a good subsistence and was lhle to support his aged mother. This lengthened 6tay in the water, however, nduced tuberculosis, from which he died. BROTHERS' VENGEANCE. The Sicilian newspapers recount a monstrous deed of vengeance executed by the secret tribunal known as the Mafia in the irovince of Caltanissetta. Early in the present year the corpse }f Michael Volo, a noted cattle robber, vas by chance discovered murdered and lung into a disused sulphur mine. His vielow had already gone to live with her irother-in-law, Luigi Volo. an old gaol lird. whose three brothers openly accusal him of having compassed Michael's leath with the woman's aid. The polce had to drop the case through insuficiency of evidence. The three brothers of Luigi Volo thereipon had recourse to tbe secret tribunal or he Mafia, to which they denounced Luigi s guilty of fratricide and espionage on >ehalf of the police. The Mafia decreed ;—igi s death (says the Rome correspond!Ut of the "Daily Chronicle"), and told off in associate named Davola to decoy the •ondemned man to a lonely cottage beide the river Salso. There the three brothers awaited Luigi, rhom they bound hand and foot and ilindfolded, aud led him out upon the terace to die. After riddling his body with hots the brothers pierced it au over vith daggers, and then bore it way to a equestered nook tn a forest, where a ueleration of Mafia scoundrels joined them it eveintide to assist in the solemn cerenony of cremating the corpse. The police re on the track ot tbe outlaws